The sustainability score: how green is your choice?
You want the best for your animal. And so do we. For us, that means caring not only about the animals themselves, but also about the world around them. That’s why we show a sustainability score for our products. This score lets you see at a glance how sustainable a product is.
Sustainability isn’t always easy to assess. A product may be produced locally, for example, but require a lot of packaging. Another product may travel further, but be made from a by-product that would otherwise go to waste. With our sustainability score, we want to help you become more aware of the choices you make.
The sustainability score is based on 3 aspects
Our sustainability score takes three different aspects into account:
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How the product is made
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How the product is packaged
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How far the product travels
Each aspect can receive between zero and three points. The average of these three scores determines the overall sustainability score. The higher the score, the more sustainable the choice is according to our assessment method.
Below, we explain each aspect in more detail.
1. Production
For production, we look at the raw materials and processing required to make the product. Products that are manufactured specifically for a particular purpose generally require more raw materials and energy than products that are created as a by-product or from residual materials. One example is the difference between wood shavings made by specifically planing and drying logs and wood shavings left over from the timber industry.
2. Packaging
Good packaging protects a product from moisture, dirt and loss of quality. At the same time, we want to minimise the amount of plastic used. That’s why we look at the ratio between the amount of product and the packaging material required. Greenbites and Metazoa bags are good examples of plastic-free packaging.
3. Transport
The shorter the distance between a product’s place of origin and Hay to You, the lower the transport impact generally is. But distance doesn’t tell the whole story. We also consider how efficiently a product can be transported: how much product can fit into a single truck?
Mini bales are a good example. Their compact size means we can transport a large amount of product in a single load. This results in a high transport density, meaning fewer journeys are needed to transport the same amount of product. This way, we assess transport not only by the number of kilometres travelled, but also by how efficiently those kilometres are used.
What does the score mean for your choice?
The sustainability score makes it easy to compare products. However, a number never tells the whole story.
The quality, suitability and palatability of a product are just as important. A product that your animal enjoys eating and that meets its needs helps prevent waste. That’s not only better for your animal and your wallet, but also for the environment.
That’s why at Hay to You, we always look at the bigger picture: quality, origin, convenience and sustainability.
We keep improving to make hay delivery even more sustainable
Plastic-free packaging or locally sourced raw materials are not yet available for every product. We’re open about that. At the same time, we continue to work with producers and suppliers to find ways to work smarter, use resources more efficiently and become more sustainable.
A product’s score may also change if its packaging, production method or transport distance changes. That’s why we keep this information as up to date as possible.
This way, you know not only what you’re ordering for your animal, but also the choices that have been made behind the product.
We go for gold and green. Because only the best is good enough for your animal, for you and for the world around us.
Check the sustainability score of our products
In our webshop, you can see how each product scores on production, packaging and transport. This makes it easier to choose a product that suits your animal and what matters to you.
With a pitchfork full of love,
Hay to You
